Players who regularly play gaming machines quickly tire of particular games and therefore it is necessary for manufacturers of these machines to develop innovative game features which add interest and variety to the games. In so doing, it is hoped to keep players amused and therefore willing to continue playing different varieties of games as well as to attract new players. Gaming machines of the type described are particularly well known nationally and internationally.
Substantial amounts of money are wagered on these machines. In the state of NSW and other states of Australia, there is a growing tendency to legalize the use of gaming machines by licensing operators with resulting revenue gains being achieved through license fees and taxation of moneys invested. The licensed operation of gaming machines is the subject of state legislation and regulation. Amongst the items regulated is the minimum percentage payout for a gaming machine. For example, a minimum of 85% of monies invested must be returned as winnings and manufacturers of gaming machines must therefore design their machines around these regulatory controls. Therefore, the options available to a gaming machine manufacturer are limited by the gaming regulations of the applicable jurisdiction and by requiring the gaming machine provide a particular return to player.
Different types of accumulator games are known in which, during the course of a series of base games, a symbol of the base game is accumulated as the base game is played. In the event of the symbol count reaching a predetermined number, a prize or free game feature is awarded. In the case of a prize being awarded, the expected return-to-player percentage is difficult to determine as changes in bet structure affect the overall return due to dependency of one base game on another. This complicates the design of gaming machines.
Single counters are also provided in free games, in which a message line counter may appear at the top of a game screen such that the number of specific symbols appearing during the free game series are counted, with the total free game win typically being repeated by the number of specific symbols counted. Whilst such a symbol accumulators or counter features have in the past proved popular, players can easily tire of them, in particular in view of the lack of actual or perceived player involvement in the counting or accumulation process. Also, in feature games such as free games, which often provide an enhanced pay characteristic, the problem of determining the expected return to player percentage may be made more difficult in that the game that provides an enhanced pay out characteristic can award a subsequent game with an enhanced pay out characteristic and so on. This further contributes to the complexity of design.
Many games have had a double up feature, for example, where a player chooses between red and black and the gaming machine then randomly makes a selection and if the player and gaming machine selection matches, the award is increased. This has proved a popular inclusion in gaming machines, adding a further functional component to the gaming machine but maintaining a game in which the odds are easy to calculate. There is a need for alternative gaming systems and machines that provide similar advantages.